Posts Tagged ‘science fiction’
segue
segue
(verb) move without interruption from one song, melody or scene to another.
(noun) an uninterrupted transition from one piece of music or film scene to another.
Ways of creating smooth transitions, from chapter to chapter, action to action, or scene to scene:
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- make sure the tone and rhythm of the writing are similar or appropriate in the transition. This may be particularly important since I am writing poetry. Sometimes, a smooth transition will occur because lines are of a similar length or number of beats, or because the tonal qualities of the poetry are similar. On the other hand, there may be places where an abrupt change is necessary to introduce an element of anxiety or surprize. I compare this to the background music in a movie, carrying the watcher from scene to scene, or changing abruptly to signal a crisis. In the following passage, the terse, rather short lines of Chapter 13 are focused on action verbs and are picked up by terse statements in Chapter 14:
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Madoline locks the door as she leaves.
Ignores the way to her cell
in the honeycomb.
Turns
towards the centre
of the city.
14.
Belnar throws down his pack.
“Not there,” he says.
“Big scandal afoot.
The cook gone.
Eighteen
unconscious
Gel-heads.
Nine dead
Dock-winders.”
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- use a repeated idea or word to help transition the reader. An example might be the use of colour. Sometimes in movies characters are shown walking down a hallway, for example, and characters in the next scene are also walking down a hallway. In the following passage, the idea of swirling at the end of Chapter 1 is picked up by the word ‘confusion’ at the beginning of Chapter 2:
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Chill wind kisses cold rock.
Sweeps out, across the Darn’el.
Stirs desert and dust.
2.
Confusion in the village.
The women gone.
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- have a character in the first scene think about a character in the second. In Chapter 9, the Dock-winder child Don’est remembers Kathryn and Chapter 10 takes us immediately to Kathryn in the Gel-head’s clutches:
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“And Kathryn
was a bedwarmer,”
says the Dock-winder child,
nodding, the wisp of a smile
on her thin lips.
Her knowledge
not appropriate
for her years.
12.
Kathryn waits in the cell
of the honeycomb.
Fiddles with a ring above her eye.
Tries to ignore confining walls,
paltry inflow of air.
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- signal to the reader that something new is coming. If the location changes, name the new location to make sure the reader knows where the action is situated. In Chapter 7, Don’est, the Dock-winder child, reminds the others that she and the wolf-like Kotildi are also part of the community of Themble Hill. In Chapter 8, the action is taken far from the Themble Wood, in the city of Prell:
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“Len, len.
And me,”
says Don’est.
“And tame Kotildi.
“Elan’drath
in the Themble Wood.”
8.
Tal and Daniel in a room
as unlike the Themble Wood
as it is possible to be.
Del-sang ma’hath,
Acquisitions Tracking,
Prell.
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- report on an event happening in the previous chapter. In the following passage, Odymn rocks the new baby in Chapter 22 and Vicki refers to the birth of the baby in Chapter 23:
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Odymn weeps when she sits with Malele
and rocks the tiny baby.
23.
“Fourteen days,”
says Vicki.
“Fourteen days
and we’ve made
no progress at all.
“Back in the Themble
Malele’s baby will have been born.
They will be wondering
if we will ever return.”
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So my first task in creativity is to look at each shift from one chapter to another and write in some segues. Sounds a little like editing to me!
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What do you think of the transitions I have written above? What devices do you use to make certain there is a smooth transition from one chapter to the next?
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Copyright 2018 Jane Tims
Meniscus: One Point Five – Forty Missing Days
Know first, then judge … understanding one another may be the most dangerous part of any shared journey …
My new book in the Meniscus Series is available!!!!
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To get a paperback copy, visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/1978407564
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As I write my science fiction Meniscus Series, I realize there are questions my readers may have about circumstances in the books. In fact, I have a few questions. Why are there no knives on the planet Meniscus? What is beelwort (revealed in Meniscus Five)? Why do people on a planet with interstellar travel walk wherever they go?
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The biggest question in my own mind — what happens during the forty missing days in Meniscus: Crossing The Churn (between the time when the Slain is shot and the time when he and Odymn release her lock of hair to the wind)? As I thought about this, I began to write Meniscus: One Point Five.
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Meniscus: One Point Five
Forty Missing Days
by Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane) Tims
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When the Slain bails on his contract to sell Odymn to the Dock-winders, he is shot trying to escape. Odymn, who loves the Slain, cannot abandon him. She recruits Wen-le-gone, an Argenop elder and healer, to help her nurse the Slain back to good health. As they make their way toward the relative safety of the Themble, the trio must forage for food, save Odymn when she encounters a poisonous foe, and get to know and trust one-another. When Wen-le-gone leaves for his home, Odymn decides to stay with the Slain. As they continue on their journey, they work together to survive the dangers of the Themble Wood but in the end, memories of the past may be their biggest obstacle to building a life together.
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Meniscus: One Point Five takes place near the end of the first book in the Meniscus Series, and tells the story of the forty missing days after the shooting of the Slain. Helping the Slain heal from his wounds and protecting him from the dangers of Meniscus may be the least of Odymn’s problems.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2018
free book – Meniscus: Crossing the Churn
Want a quick read? A chance to explore a distant planet with two spirited characters? The first book in my science-fiction adventure series Meniscus: Crossing the Churn (Kindle version) is available for free for the next five days on Kindle. From January 27 to January 31, you can meet Odymn and the Slain, and learn about their meeting and their first travels together across the landscapes of planet Meniscus.
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From the dangerous streets of Prell-nan to the dark woods of the Themble, this is a dystopian adventure, set on a planet where Humans are slaves to an alien race. Their only hope for freedom is to work together, foraging for their food, running from the nasty Dock-winders and battling the wild life. The only way to survive will be in their growing love for one another.
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A sample from the story …
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She watches the fire,
the space where flames
feign glowing eyes.
The creature speaks and she startles,
then knows the words are the endless friction
of two close-growing limbs of banyan.
High pitched squeal, low grown.
She peers at the Slain.
“I’m Odymn,” she says,
points to the place
between her breasts,
the now-charred microchip.
Points at him.
“Who are you?”
Emphasis on ‘who’ and ‘you’.
Unwavering stare.
His eyes not black, but amethyst,
dark rings around the iris.
At the edges a pale film,
nictitating membrane.
Long lashes.
“Odymn,” she says.
“Named by my father.
“Rare earth metal, Neodymium.
Atomic number 60. Silvery,
soft, tarnishes in air.
“Common as copper.
Makes a reddish dye,
colour of my hair.
“Now you,” and points at his chest.
Blue sparks snap to the tip of her finger.
Faint vibration through hand, along arm,
deep into torso.
Penetrating stare.
Lazy double blink.
Membrane and lashes close and open.
“OK. I’ll choose a name for you.
Daniel. Or James.
Not quite right, too common.
“You need an alien name.
Something deep from Dock-winder mythology.
Amblyn, god of fire. Or De-al, water-weld.”
Steady stare. Double blink.
One hand lifts. One finger raised to lips.
Be silent.
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To get a free Kindle version of Meniscus: Crossing the Churn (from January 27 to January 31), just click on the book icon in the margin. This will take you to the Amazon website where you can get a free copy downloaded to your Kindle device.
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If you like Meniscus: Crossing the Churn, you will love the continuing adventures of Odymn and the silent Slain – Meniscus: South from Sintha, Meniscus: Winter by the Water-climb and the newest book Meniscus: One Point Five – Forty Missing Days, available January 31, 2018.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2018
Fall Show … space paintings
Tomorrow morning, I will be selling paintings and books at the New Maryland Fall Show (Faith Baptist Church, New Maryland Highway, New Maryland, New Brunswick, 9-2). To accompany my science-fiction books in the Meniscus Series, I have done some little space paintings.
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Oct. 28, 2017 ‘spatter’ 6″ x 8″ $15 Jane Tims
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Oct. 8, 2017 “spacescape” 8″ x 10″ $20 Jane Tims
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Nov. 1, 2017 ‘space’ 8″ x 8″ $20 Jane Tims
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
winter reading
Today in New Brunswick, it’s just a little colder than yesterday. Leaves are falling from the trees and there are lots of bare branches against the blue sky. Yesterday I switched our thermostats to auto mode. And yesterday we stopped at a roadside stand to buy a small store of pickles and jams for winter eating.
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My pile of winter reading is also growing. I am looking forward to days by the fire reading many of our New Brunswick authors.
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I can add to your winter reading pile in a couple of ways:
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A chance to win a copy (paperback, postage-paid) of my upcoming book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ (Chapel Street Editions). This book includes 73 of my poems about plants and animals living in the vicinity of 35 of our covered bridges in New Brunswick. The book also includes 21 of my drawings of bridges and wild life. To enter for the draw, just leave a comment on any of my blog posts at http://www.nichepoetryandprose.wordpress.com or the Facebook posting. one entry per person per post.
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2.
Get a free copy of the Kindle version of the third book in my science fiction Meniscus Series from October 22 to October 25, 2017. ‘Meniscus: Winter by the Waterclimb’ will tell you everything you need to know about how to survive winter on an alien planet!!! Although the book is part of a series, it is also ‘stand-alone’. To get a free copy of the ebook, just click here.
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Enjoy your day!
Jane
get your free copy of Meniscus: Crossing The Churn
The first book in my science fiction series is available free in Kindle format from now until October 8th. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542342635
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What lives in the grell burrows?
Why does the Slain carry an ivory button with him?
Who gave Odymn her purple running shoes?
What plants are good to eat in the Meniscus woods?
How do Odymn and the Slain get water in the Darn’el desert?
How did Odymn get her name?
Does the Slain speak English?
What is the Slain’s occupation?
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Just a few questions you’ll be able to answer if you read Meniscus: Crossing The Churn.
from a first drawing to a final cover
This month I completed publication of the third book in my science fiction series. I published my books with CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform and have loved the outcome. I also chose to use one of the CreateSpace templates for my covers, an efficient choice but one that let me easily download my own painting image for each cover.
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As a sort of retrospective, I think it is interesting to see the progression of the three covers, from drawing to painting to cover (all paintings are photography of J.D.R. Beaudoin):
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The next book in the series, Meniscus: The Village at Themble Hill, will come out in January 2018. Seems a ways away, but time to start working on the cover. This cover may change in overall design but will feature the moons in the background with poor Odymn tumbling through the trees. This is the black and white drawing I will work from.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
Next book in the Meniscus Series!!!
It’s the dead of winter. It’s bitterly cold and food is scarce. Just surviving until next morning is all you can think about. But no matter. There are just the two of you.
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Then your boyfriend declares he is going on his version of ‘walkabout’ for three months. And seven strangers, survivors of a spaceship crash, land on your doorstep. The trials of winter just went critical.
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Meniscus: Winter by the Water-climb, the third book of the Meniscus Series, follows the continuing story of Odymn and the silent Slain. If you enjoyed Crossing The Churn (the story of the meeting of Odymn and the Slain) and South from Sintha (the story of the Slain’s attempt at redemption), you will love the third story. There are lots of new characters and Odymn’s parkour and foraging skills are put to the test. The book includes new drawings, a map, a glossary, a list of characters and a guide to Gel-speak.
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Meniscus: Winter by the Water-climb is now available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com. A quick read, written as a narrative poem. The paperback is $11.99 (US) here and the Kindle version is $4.96 here .
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An except from the story:
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Odymn measures the gap.
Not far.
Perhaps two metres.
Just beyond her comfort zone.
Odymn considers
surface of the stack.
Icy, slippery.
Bubbles ooze across rock.
The En’ast wood,
a hundred metres below.
Odymn tosses a chunk of stone.
It lands,
skids to a stop.
Rubs her hands on the dusty rocks.
Needs dry fingers to cling to edge
if her feet keep going.
Crouches. Arms behind her.
Launches and leans.
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I hope you will take a leap with Odymn and explore the strange world of Meniscus.
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Copyright Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra) Tims 2017
Out Soon – the next book in the Meniscus Series!
Within the next couple of days, my new book in the sci-fi series Meniscus will be out on Amazon, in paperback and Kindle versions.
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This book, Meniscus: Winter by the Water-climb, continues the love story of Odymn and the silent Slain, and follows a ragtag group of humans as they try to survive winter on the planet of Meniscus. New characters are introduced to the story and Odymn discovers a secret way to the Themble Wood.
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The book includes 21 of my drawings, an updated Map, a Glossary, a Gel-speak Dictionary and (New!) a guide to the Characters (as suggested by one of my beta-readers)!
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To buy the first two books in the Series, click here for Meniscus: Crossing The Churn and here for Meniscus: South from Sintha. They are also available from Westminster Books, Fredericton.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
my eraser is my friend
I spent a quiet morning drawing a new image for the fourth book in my science fiction series.
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Meniscus: Crossing The Churn and Meniscus: South from Sintha have been published. I am now waiting for editing and a proof of Meniscus: Winter by the Water-climb (to be published in July). In the meanwhile, I have some time to continue work on the fourth book, Meniscus: The Village at Themble Hill.
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The Village at Themble Hill is the most tragic of the four books to date. Odymn, sometimes reckless, breaks her leg and then falls from a tree. How did she get in that tree and will she survive?
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I am the first to admit my drawings are not perfect. I have no specific training and my hand does all the work so it takes all the blame. However, I love to draw. It is engrossing and being able to illustrate my own books has helped me tell my stories.
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I begin by reading the text of the story to choose a scene I want to illustrate. I usually have the composition of the scene securely in my head as a result of the writing. Then I pose my little wooden model, find some photos to help me with the human form, and get to work. I have decided to show you the stages for a particular drawing.
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In this scene, Odymn and the Slain have decided to explore The Fault, to make sure there are no unknown ways for the Gel-heads to gain access to the new Human settlement. The Gel-heads have invaded before, carrying off prisoners and trying to murder those they leave behind.
The Slain pulls his map from his pack.
Yellowed vellum. Corners worn.
Ink marks gloss the edges.
The Slain’s finger follows The Fault.
“We’ll go scouting,”
he says. “Make certain
there are no other stair-steps
carved in rock.”
“No other water-climbs,” says Odymn.
She hears what the Slain does not say.
He tires of life in Garth —
rules, duty rosters
and expected conversation.
“When do we leave?” says Odymn.
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I begin with a quick sketch to establish the position of my characters. I use a 2B pencil and eraser. I think the eraser is the most useful of my drawing tools!
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Then I start to consolidate the lines and sketch in some background.
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The next step is to establish some of the shadow in the drawing. As you can see, a Q-tip is almost as important to me as the eraser!
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Odymn is always the easiest to draw. She is a bit quirky, so her facial expressions mask her beauty. The main challenges are her hair and her nose which always tries to develop a hook.
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The last thing I draw is the Slain’s head. He is a most difficult character/subject. I always get him too young or too old, too dark or too light. Sometimes he insists on looking a bit like a caveman!
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The final drawing is almost exactly the scene I saw in my head. Odymn and the Slain look a little uncertain about what they will find on their adventure. As you can see, when you use an eraser, you also need a brush to shoo the eraser bits away without smudging the drawing.
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With a few minor edits, this drawing will accompany this part of the story in The Village at Themble Hill. The Slain and Odymn will have some dangerous adventures as they travel along The Fault.
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What do you think of my process and my final drawing?
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
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